The El Princess

C2

KAI

"Hey, Kai," I try not to groan at my best friend and roommate's voice echoing in my ear. I've been looking for different ways to terminate this conversation since she mentioned going to her ex-boyfriend’s gallery opening. Unfortunately, I can't hang up because I don't want to deal with her wrath when I get home. So instead, I just have to endure until she's done talking.

"I'm listening, Zazie. What do you need... again?" I ask.

I see her through the phone, rolling her eyes, batting her long, artificial lashes at me. "Can you come to his gallery with me?" I open my mouth to object but she continues. "And before you say no, just remember you owe me for the time I saved you from your crazy ex."

How did I know she was going to pull that shit? Everytime I try to say no to her, she brings up my stalker.

"It's not the same. You want me to come with you because you know Hartley hates seeing me with you," I say as the waiter gestures towards my empty mug, I give him a nod as a go ahead to refill, and continue my conversation with Zazie. "We'll talk about this when I get home, I'm busy at the moment." That's just a polite way of telling her to fuck off.

"With what? Anyway, I don't care, just remember to pick up dinner before you come home."

"Why do I always have to be the one to buy dinner? You and Lee live in my house for free, and you demand I buy you everything. I refuse to do that today, it's a new year and I'm making some changes." 

"Does that include getting a girlfriend? Don't answer that, I already know what your answer would be. Today is cheat meal day, so I'm thinking pizza, fries, ice cream–"

"Didn't you hear what I just said, Zazie? I–"

"Love you, see you tonight. Don't be late, muah." She ends the call after the prolonged kissing sounds. Argh!

How did I get so lucky? Or more accurately, unlucky.

I shake my head and drop my phone on the table beside my laptop. My eyes roam  the screen and the project I'm working on glares back at me. It's my day off from work, I should be resting. I deserve it after working my ass off for the past ten years. I shouldn't even be here this morning. I'm supposed to be in my house, sleeping the day away but Lee, my third roommate, is so loud. I had no idea how bad he was until his screaming girlfriend almost ruptured my eardrum off.

I sip my coffee and type away on my laptop. I don't know how much time has gone by since I arrived, everything is a blur, something that tends to happen when I have my mind focused on something. That is until I hear the murmuring around me, I try to ignore them but it's hard when I can hear all them at once. I break my concentration and look around the coffee shop, where I notice everyone on their feet staring out the window. I close my laptop and put it safely in my bag before grabbing my phone and walking out of the booth, at the back of the shop. I didn't want any distraction, that's the sole reason I picked the place.

"What's going on?" I ask no one in particular but I don't get any reply, they are all focused on what's happening outside.

Out of curiosity, I stare out the window to see what's captured everyone's attention. That's when I see her...

A woman in the middle of the road fighting some men, I count seven. Judging from her outfit and her choice of weapon, she is not from around here. I watch a man kick her, which causes her to fly backwards. I cringe when her back hits a metal pole, rather than her being injured, the pole breaks on impact.

My eyes go to the seven men, who are also dressed like her chase after her. There's no doubt that they won't stop until she's dead. 

The woman stands up straight like she didn't just get kicked in the gut and her back slammed against a metal pole. She shouldn't be on her feet and she sure as hell shouldn't be standing straight. I watch her take a deep breath before tossing a dagger at one of them, he dodges it. And I'm left wondering where the dagger came from. I could have sworn I didn't see her hold any weapon.